Some of the people we went to school with have been divorced two or three times in the last 30 years.
That's been my experience, which really surprises me. My daughter told me a statistic that people in the US are married an average of 3 times! That means for every one of us whose been married once, there has to be someone married 5 times.
Most of what I consider "attractive" in a person has to do with their character
That's pretty much my philosophy.
Beauty is fine, but it's not as important as what's inside. In my experience, those who early get the message that they are beautiful and that beauty is of prime importance develop a rather superficial personality.
I wouldn't shy away from a beautiful woman, but there would have to be a thoughtful and intelligent mind inside. One of the woman I dated was very attractive (to me at least), and she have a nice personality, but when she didn't know anything about Albert Einstein or the Theory of Relativity, I knew that relationship wasn't going beyond friendship.
the most handsome man and the loveliest woman
Unfortunately, the media over-emphasize the so-called beautiful people, most of whom seem to have significant personality disorders or are otherwise dysfunctional, and their relationships seem dysfunctional.
Attractive people have a distinct advantage,
Maybe in some circles, but definitely not where I work, nor in the field in which I work. In what I do, smarts and problem solving ability are the principal requirements, as it should be.